Microsoft Project Server vs Planisware comparison

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Microsoft Project Server

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Planisware and Microsoft Project Server compete in the project management software category. Microsoft Project Server seems to have the upper hand due to its integration capabilities and extensive feature set, while Planisware is favored for its pricing and support.

Features: Planisware offers advanced portfolio management, powerful financial tracking, and robust resource planning. Microsoft Project Server provides seamless integration with other Microsoft products, comprehensive resource management, and detailed project scheduling.

Room for Improvement: Planisware could enhance its user interface and reduce the complexity of its deployment process. Microsoft Project Server requires improvement in intuitive usability for non-Microsoft users and could benefit from cost reductions. Both products could improve offline documentation and provide more extensive training resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Project Server offers cloud-based deployment with seamless integration within Microsoft environments, supported by dedicated channels. Planisware's deployment is highly customizable but may require more configuration time, with a focus on tailored user support.

Pricing and ROI: Planisware has competitive pricing and a scalable cost structure, enhancing ROI over time, particularly beneficial for large enterprises. Microsoft Project Server may incur higher initial costs but achieves strong ROI through productivity gains from its integration capabilities, despite a steeper upfront investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Project Server vs. Planisware Report (Updated: March 2025).

Microsoft Project Server vs. Planisware

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project Server

Ranking in Project Portfolio Management

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Planisware

Ranking in Project Portfolio Management

6th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Project Portfolio Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project Server is 6.8%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Planisware is 10.0%, up from 8.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Project Portfolio Management

Featured Reviews

Sean Achim

Managing Director at Knights Innovation Support Centre

Unlock comprehensive reporting and management with robust data extraction

The major advantage for me in using Microsoft Project Server is the SQL Server component. Using Power BI and SQL Server, I can extract a lot more data. The combination of Microsoft Project with Project Server and SharePoint provides a perfect solution for me. This setup allows for comprehensive reporting and management across multiple projects and portfolios.

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John Andrew Kossey

Planisware configuration consultant at Comcast Business

Capably brings single source of truth to enterprise project portfolio management; provides consequential, flexible data display with effective visualization; integrated use of Agile, Kanban

Historically, some releases--even with extensive delays from initial announcement--had minor, yet troubling glitches. Planisware Enterprise has been addressing this shortcoming with more frequent releases that include helpful improvements. 7.0.0 release was January 2021; 7.0.1 March 2021; 7.0.2 July 2021; 7.0.3 December 2021; 7.0.4 March 2022. 7.1 became available in September 2023. Documentation has become much more thorough and clearly illustrated. Release notes for 7.0.4 has 133 pages. In my experience, small irritations I reported in E7 have been fixed in several days. SaaS provisions that Planisware provides in relation to security are superior to what smaller organizations can afford. Planisware SaaS no longer relies upon third-party providers. Faster data response time is a user benefit. Availability of Planisware software as a service (SaaS) contributes to operational stability; your team still needs to keep the configuration responsive to evolving business needs. Each customer has responsibility for continuing to grow "know why" as well as "know how." Investing in local capabilities on your customer side is vital--both for technical configuration and functional administrators. Over-dependence on the vendor can be needlessly expensive. Discussions with fellow Planisware customers conclude that commitment to achieving and sustaining product proficiency across versions is a key best practice. At-cost Planisware certification courses can provide training for a corporate customer's advanced users (those responsible for maintaining L1 level changes). One function I have requested for P6 and continuing through E7 is a comprehensive, detailed listing of attributes across modules--somewhat similar to attribute display in OPX2 versions (pre-P5). Some few attributes (e.g., Z-order) are difficult to document completely. Pull-down list of hundreds of attributes is insufficient.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It's stable and reliable."

"Microsoft Project Server is a scalable solution."

"The solution is stable."

"I found the portfolio management valuable."

"The solution scales well."

"The scheduling feature is the most useful."

"One notable positive aspect is its effective project-tracking capabilities."

"The solution, overall, is excellent for project planning."

More Microsoft Project Server pros

"The solution is performance-oriented and easily customized accordingly to many areas, such as performance KPI."

"It has an inbuilt BI tool, which can be compared to Power BI or Tableau."

"The area that could benefit from improvement in this Planisware is the project management tool. I have previously used Project Server, which is a Microsoft solution, and I found it to be more user-friendly as it included a client solution. In contrast, with this solution, the only option available is the online version, making it difficult to create activities, milestones, and other necessary components. This is in comparison to Planisware, which offers a more comprehensive solution."

"There are two things in particular that I enjoy. The first is the portfolio planning section. Another advantage is that it is highly customizable."

"It stands out by automating the intricate mechanics of project execution, eliminating the need for highly technical individuals to manage and reconfigure models."

"Planisware offers integration with multiple tools and provides a good level of customization."

"We have a variety of different modules, but it is mainly used for costs, risks, and resources."

"Overall, our company has all disintegrated systems, and with Planisware, we are getting a very integrated view of my portfolio reporting, cost and load, and everything else."

More Planisware pros

Cons

"The deployment aspect of the product is a bit tedious."

"We sometimes need support from the IT department for installing and deploying the Microsoft Project Server. It is not user-friendly, and users cannot install it themselves."

"It has to be more user-friendly. For instance, there should be some assistance, like when you go to certain sites, people pop up and say, "Can we help you? What are you looking for?" It's not interactive enough."

"The initial setup was complex."

"Microsoft is going to integrate the Co-Pilot features into Microsoft Project. The AI feature is an additional feature. It can look at the plan and identify risks early on from any part of your project."

"The reporting aspects can be improved, which is one of the reasons why I'm using Qlik Sense. In the older on-prem versions, reporting was lackluster, to say the least. Project Online has a better handle on that. However, we will still be using Qlik Sense. We're also looking at an add-on app from a company called OnePlan that adds some additional functionality where Microsoft is not as clean in its approach for things such as portfolio management and some of the trends analysis."

"Exporting data from Microsoft Project, especially Gantt charts, is overly complex and not user-friendly."

"Microsoft Project Server could improve by making the solution more user-friendly."

More Microsoft Project Server cons

"They do not have anything that can assist customers with multi-year roadmap planning."

"I have experienced some issues, and that’s okay. It tends to be stable when the server's processing power and memory are adequate."

"Its stability should be improved. Its stability is the main issue, but we sometimes also have issues with calculations."

"The biggest con for Planisware is that if you are not a Planisware partner, you don't have access to their functions, making it difficult for beginners and new team members."

"The learning curve is steep and there could be more avenues for opening up learning materials to a broader audience, enabling individuals to gain practical experience with the tool."

"The UI and UX of Planisware are not that advanced."

"More integration is needed with other kinds of products for better collaboration."

More Planisware cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is an annual license required for this solution."

"Microsoft Project Server is relatively cheaper than other products."

"It's not subscription-based, we purchased the on-premises version."

"We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft, and our licensing is based on the agreement."

"It has features that cannot be bought by other rivals, so cost does not matter."

"Microsoft Project Server is more expensive than other solutions on the market. We purchase the license annually."

"I'm not quite sure about the licensing costs. We're probably paying somewhere in the neighborhood of about 80,000 to 90,000 a year for our current on-prem because we handle our own licensing. As far as Project Online is concerned, we're still trying to get a good handle on that. It looks like it is going to be in a neighborhood of about 120,000 to 150,000 a year, but we're getting a lot more capability out of it."

"There are some payments related to the licensing cost of Microsoft Project Server."

More Microsoft Project Server pricing and cost advice

"It comes with a high cost."

"There are training and certification costs."

"The solution could be less expensive and the cost of scaling is expensive too."

"The solution is expensive and support is an extra cost. There are three license types to choose from, and we only pay for support and cloud services depending on our needs."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

19%

Energy/Utilities Company

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Project Server?

The ability to track a project's progress using Microsoft Project Server is the most valuable aspect. It depends, especially when managing multiple projects.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?

The pricing model is currently a challenge since it seems aligned to push users cloud-based. Considering the infrastructure commitments to SharePoint and SQL, the implementation costs are low if al...

What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?

I am not convinced that the pricing model is the right one. Microsoft has become increasingly expensive, and there seems to be a push towards cloud solutions which can be challenging for some. Addi...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Planisware?

I don't have any specific details, however, it might be expensive.

What needs improvement with Planisware?

I haven't had the time to work with any other TPM tools, so I can't compare it to other tools just yet.

What is your primary use case for Planisware?

We actually use it for project planning and estimating the cost for the projects, in resource management, and as a timecard application. Users can log their time using the timesheet.

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Product Reports

Microsoft Project Server

Download Microsoft Project Server product report

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Also Known As

MS Project Server

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Overview

Microsoft Project Server facilitates project portfolio management and everyday collaboration, enhancing decision-making processes. Its integration with SharePoint offers a flexible solution for enterprise project management, catering to complex project needs seamlessly.

Microsoft Project Server empowers project teams and managers with enhanced communication and comprehensive project visibility. It supports dynamic resource allocation, financial tracking, and risk assessment. A cloud-ready platform, it simplifies deployment and scalability, suitable for diverse project environments and needs robust integration with leading productivity tools and services.

What are the key features of Microsoft Project Server?

Resource Management: Allocate and track resources efficiently to optimize productivity.
Portfolio Analysis: Assess and prioritize projects based on strategic alignment and constraints.
Time Reporting: Streamline time tracking and reporting for accurate project insights.
Integration with Office: Seamlessly connects with Microsoft Office applications for enhanced productivity.
Security and Compliance: Ensures data security with customizable permissions and compliance standards.

What benefits can users expect from Microsoft Project Server?

Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitates communication and collaboration among project teams.
Improved Decision Making: Offers comprehensive data analytics for strategic planning.
Efficiency Gains: Streamlines project management workflows for increased productivity.
Cost Management: Enables effective budget tracking and financial control.

Industries such as construction, IT services, and pharmaceuticals leverage Microsoft Project Server for managing large-scale projects with precision. Its adaptability to different industry standards ensures specific project requirements are met while maintaining operational control and regulatory compliance.

Microsoft

Resource and cost scheduling, time tracking, risk and document management in a collaborative environment. Software solution that supports the end-to-end governance of company portfolios, from finance and resource planning, to the life cycle management of products.

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations

Apotex, Alstom Transport, HP, Stryker, Rexam, Jotun, Gelita, Kraton Performance Polymers, Abbvie, Rio Tinto Alcan, Maruho, Teva, SK Chemicals

Microsoft Project Server vs. Planisware